The longest Olympic torch relay in Olympic Winter Games history will commence at 5 a.m. ET (12 p.m. local time) on Sept. 29, 2013 in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games. Per tradition, the torch is expected to be lit using the sun’s rays, reflected on a large parabolic mirror which is used to symbolize the approval of the gods to host the Olympic Games. Russian ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin will be the first Russian to carry the Olympic flame. The Greek relay leg will include 250 torchbearers (including several Olympic medalists) passing the flame across 2,000 kilometers through 33 towns before the Russian leg commences on Oct. 7. The historic Russian leg will see the flame travel more than 65,000 kilometers via 14,000 torchbearers leading up to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony on Feb. 7, 2014.